Doubles team Boutiller and de Villiers No. 15 in the nation
Matt Weir / Collegian File Photo
The Fresno State men’s tennis team will face a familiar foe in the NCAA 64-team tournament bracket, which begins play on Friday, May 13.
The Bulldogs (16-8) will open up first-round matches against the Big Ten’s Minnesota (19-5), who defeated Fresno State in January, a 4-2 victory in the ITA National Indoors Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.
Fresh off a Western Athletic Conference tournament championship, the Bulldogs are headlined by All-WAC performers Remi Boutiller and Rikus de Villiers and WAC Coach of the Year Jay Udwadia.
Under the direction of Udwadia this season, the Bulldogs finished the conference season unscathed, recording a 6-0 record while capping it off with a WAC regular season and tournament crown, and a No. 38 ranking.
In doubles play, the team of Boutiller and de Villers is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation, but when matched up against Minnesota in late January, the top Bulldog doubles team was outdueled by the Gophers Phillip Arndt and Sebastian Gallego, 8-6.
But Boutiller and de Villers did triumph over Minnesota in singles play on Jan. 29. Boutiller brought down Gallego, the Gophers’ top player, (6-4, 6-4), and de Villers outlasted sophomore Rok Bonin, (3-6, 6-0, 6-3), a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Fresno State split the six singles matches against the Gophers in January’s matches, but crumbled in doubles play, losing two matches to Minnesota.
Heading into the national tournament, the Bulldogs are riding a 10-match winning streak, and have not found themselves on the losing end since a 7-0 loss to Nebraska in Albuquerque, N.M.
Across the court, Minnesota fell in the Big Ten tournament championship match against No. 4 Ohio State, 4-0, ending a four-match win streak for the Gophers.
This year’s appearance will mark the 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Bulldogs with 2010 being its last appearance, and for Minnesota it will be the program’s 17th appearance.
This season, Fresno State dominated at home with a 9-2 record, but struggled on the road and neutral sites, finishing with a combined 7-6 record while playing away from the Wathen Tennis Center.